Bharath being the cradle of civilizations
has spun out thousands of such terms which illustrate the culture and value
systems of the nation which has a long and hoary tradition. Dharma is
one such word which elucidates our culture. This word is taken as an example
because it has no equivalent in any other language in the world, which has
around 6000 languages surviving at present.
This will also exemplify the fact that the culture of our land is unique
and peerless.
When Swami Vivekananda was
addressing the west he used the term religion to connote Dharma. Since, the
culture of those lands were bereft of that value, he had no other option but to
rely on the term religion to make them understand the concepts
which he was presenting before them. One often sees dharma translated as
religion, duty, or even righteousness, but in fact, there is no single direct
translation for dharma. Religion, duty and righteousness are not wrong; they
are simply included within the idea of dharma. But we must be clear that Swami
Vivekananda was NOT referring to religion as understood by us. In the Hindu
parlance religion can be equated with ’pantha’.
Dharma literally
means the one which upholds. The word "dharma" comes from the
Sanskrit root dhri, meaning to "uphold" or to
"sustain." From this perspective, the best way to think of dharma is
to say, "that which upholds or sustains the positive order of things: the
nation, the community, the family and ultimately even the universe." At a
social level, every individual has a particular dharma according to their place
in life. Children have a dharma, parents have a dharma, teachers have a dharma,
the police have a dharma and everyone right from the head of a nation has a
dharma. One of the dharmas of a child, for example, is to obey parents and to
study. Parents have a dharma to protect and look after children: to make sure
they are educated, fed, housed and trained. It is sometimes written on the
sides of police cars: To Serve and to Protect. This is a statement of dharma
for police. A head of state has a dharma to protect the country and to provide
a secure environment for its citizens. If everyone performs their dharma:
children obey parents, parents look after children, citizens uphold the laws of
the land, the police enforce the law, a head of state protects the nation, then
the family, the community and the nation are "upheld" and there can
be prosperity. This is dharma, and it all follows from the idea of dhri,
to uphold.
The word dharma is also used in a
different way within Hindu philosophy that can also be understood from the root
dhri. Every constituent of matter:
liquids, metals, gases, fire, and so on have different dharmas. For example,
the dharma of water is fluidity. The dharma
of ice is coldness. The dharma of fire is heat. In other words, whatever it is that makes
water as water or ice as ice, or fire as fire; what "upholds" the
state of being water, ice, or fire, etc., is dharma. Knowledge of Dharma and
Adharma (the opposite of dharma) is knowledge of right and wrong, proper and
improper. It is universal truth and it doesn’t require any special education to
comprehend these truths. It requires understanding. Understanding of our being
and our fellow beings. Our culture which lays a great emphasis on moral and
ethical values has these Dharmic values embedded in its every activity. That’s
how these ideas occupy an important part of Hindu philosophy, even though they
are subtle.
Various facets and
Misconceptions.
Dharma takes various meanings and
connotations according to the place and person. It is adherence to Dharma which
elevates one from vikruti to
prakruti. Adi
Sankaracharya goes further and says that if we don’t adhere to Dharma, then we will be leading the
life of an animal. He says in his sutrabashyah, “Human beings and animals have
the same urges. They eat and sleep and copulate and besides the feelings of
fear are common to both. What, then, is the difference between the two? It is
adherence to dharma that distinguishes human beings from animals. Without
Dharma to guide him man would be no better than an animal.”
“Aharanidrabhayamaithunam
ca samanyametat pasubhirnaranam
Dharmo hi
tesamadhiko visesah dharmena hina pasubhissamanah”
But one simple way to get
a grip of this outwardly confusing concept is to know about the various facets
of dharma. One must be inclined to do whatever he expects others to do to him.
In the same vein, one must desist from acts, which he does not want others to
do to him. This simple yet insightful value is called as Samanya dharma. We
don’t want to get cheated, hurt, humiliated, robbed or deceived. Hence, our
first duty towards our society is not to do these to others. Swami Dayananda
Saraswati lucidly explains this, “...all that you do not want others to do to
you, and others also do not want you to do to them. You do not want to be hurt,
robbed, cheated, or deceived in any manner.
On the contrary, you want others to be compassionate, to be giving and
loving. This is Dharma. That is why we call the act of giving also as
dharma. In no other culture is giving
called dharma. Others call it
charity. Charity is the most
uncharitable word, because you assume a patronizing attitude when you give
charity. We lead a symbiotic life. We need each other; we need to help each
other. Therefore, giving is dharma. It’s a kind of duty. We expect people to be giving. Definitely, we can be very
understanding. We can be accommodative.
We can understand others’ limitations, as we need them to understand our
limitations. This understanding is
something very profound in day to day life……” (Living intelligently – Page 80)
While this Samanya Dharma lays
the foundation for harmony in the society, there are some exceptions to it too.
For example Ahimsa which is a Samanya Dharma, meant for all in the society to
follow. Men engaged in the work of ensuring the safety and security of people,
like Police or Security forces, cannot and should not follow this. You should not hurt is a
universal value. But at the same time people are to be protected and if use of
force against those who are Adharmic , is warranted, to ensure the safety of
commoners , then it should be used and any hesitation in this regard will only
cause greater harm to those who believe in Dharma. This action which apparently
causes Himsa is the Visesha Dharma of Police and security Forces. The hurtful actions of a medical surgeon is another
example of visesha dharma. It is the Motive behind the action which will
qualify an act whether it is Dharma or not. Varna-asrama-dharma,and kula-dharma, together, are called visesha-dharma, which can be divided in
many ways. Visesha-dharma means peculiar or particular dharma, governing certain situations, whereas samanya-dharma applies to all human beings whether a person is
a student, a householder, or in any other stage of one’s life. A particular dharma is one that is governed by
the structure of a society. For instance, in the Vedic society, the society envisioned by the Vedas,
there was a structure called varna and another called asrama. This structure, consisting of the varnas, made it possible to assign particular jobs to particular groups of
people. A broad division was thereby created, along with a concept of duty. Because I belong to this varna, this
is to be done by me. This is all an integral
part of karma-yoga. This structure of assigning specific duties to particular groups of people is called varna-dharma. This is a visesha-dharma.
Then, there is asrama-dharma,which provides guidelines as per the stage in one’s life. For
example, a brahmana, as a student, had to follow a certain order. When he or she married,
certain changes occur and additional dharma is included. As a student, one was not supposed to pursue
certain activities. You could follow politics, but you should not participate in politics. If you do, you cease to be a student. You become a politician, instead. Thus, there was a structure with reference
to one’s asrama. Asramadharma - what was expected of you, depending on the stage of life you were in, is
also visesha-dharma.
Another example of visesha-dharma was stri-dharma or purusa-dharma, based on whether a person was male or female. There was also kula-dharma, dharma applicable to a particular
family or clan. The Kuru clan, for instance, had its own dharma. If there is any conflict
between the Samanya Dharma and Visesha Dharma, Visesha Dharma will override,
since all these are duties meant for a harmonious social order. Wrong
understanding of these Samanya Dharma and Visesha Dharma have led to serious
mistakes in our history. Swami Vivekananda expounds this complex phenomenon in
a rather perspicuous manner. He says,
“ .. The Bauddhas were confounded just there and
brought about all sorts of mischief. Non-injury is right; "Resist not
evil" is a great thing — these are indeed grand principles; but the
scriptures say, "Thou art a householder; if anyone smites thee on thy
cheek, and thou dost not return him an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,
thou wilt verily be a sinner." Manu says, "When one has come to kill
you, there is no sin in killing him, even though he be a Brahmin" (Manu,
VIII. 350). This is very true, and this is a thing which should not be
forgotten. Heroes only enjoy the world. Show your heroism; apply, according to
circumstances, the fourfold political maxims of conciliation, bribery, sowing
dissensions, and open war, to win over your adversary and enjoy the world —
then you will be Dharmika (righteous)…”( East and West 8 &9)
All these will make
it clear that Dharma is always intertwined with Karma, which means action or
Duty. Dharma can only be established through
practice and this is where the present day society’s lacunae lie. Due to the
several decades of Alien rule which was followed by rulers who are plagued by
the educational system introduced by the Imperialists, practice of dharma has
taken a back seat. Understanding clearly that the bedrock of this nation is
Dharma, the British rulers planned to do away with the system of education
which introduced these concepts to the students. It was replaced by an
education system which denounced our Vedic concepts and Dharmic approaches to
life. The society started believing in
the myths rolled out by the western academics as true. Many even got converted
thinking that it is the real path for salvation. Bhagavad Gita denounces such
attrition by people of their own Dharma thus,
” Svadharme nidhanam shreyah,
paradharmo bhayavah.” (Ch: 3.35)
Following the path dictated by
one’s own tradition/nature is always
Superior to following another person’s path, even though it may well lack
financial gain, fame, or approval. Working out the law of one’s own nature,
even though it may lead to our demise, is superior to the folly of attempting
to follow the path of another person is certain to turn out badly.”. But the
rot was slowly setting in and as a result the national scene saw a vacuum. A nation of more than 300 million people were
unable to rise themselves united against a few hundred English Officers.
It was at this crucial juncture Swami Vivekananda emerged
on the scene. When the entire nation was reeling under complex of guilt and
timidness foisted by the academia, Swami Vivekananda, a product that very same English
education gave the much needed succor to the Indian psyche by firmly re
establishing the role and importance of our Hindu Dharma. He had the knowledge of both Eastern and
Western philosophies and hence was able to see things in proper perspective. He
realized that his life’s mission was not just attaining Moksha but the
liberation of the masses who are reeling under ignorance. After the 3 day Tapas at kanyakumari, he hit upon a grand plan to
resurrect this nation to her past glory by re establishing Dharma as the
undercurrent of all activities, personal, social and national. He urged our
countrymen not to ape the west and get goaded by their materialistic pursuits.
He felt that dharma, being unique, should be the soul of our nation. He says,
“…With every man, there is an idea; the external
man is only the outward manifestation, the mere language of this idea within.
Likewise, every nation has a corresponding national idea. This idea is working
for the world and is necessary for its preservation. The day when the necessity
of an idea as an element for the preservation of the world is over, that very
day the receptacle of that idea, whether it be an individual or a nation, will
meet destruction. The reason that we Indians are still living, in spite of so
much misery, distress, poverty, and oppression from within and without is that
we have a national idea, which is yet necessary for the preservation of the
world…. With every man, there is an idea; the external man is only the outward
manifestation, the mere language of this idea within. Likewise, every nation
has a corresponding national idea. This idea is working for the world and is
necessary for its preservation. The day when the necessity of an idea as an
element for the preservation of the world is over, that very day the receptacle
of that idea, whether it be an individual or a nation, will meet destruction.
The reason that we Indians are still living, in spite of so much misery,
distress, poverty, and oppression from within and without is that we have a
national idea, which is yet necessary for the preservation of the world….”(
East & West 3-4)
These words are refreshing and reassuring for a society
drenched with the western ideals. Swami Vivekananda urges our people to believe
in the system which has carried the national boat so far, instead of
castigating it. He says,
“..The powerful men in every country are moving
society whatever way they like, and the rest are only like a flock of sheep.
Now the question is this, who are these men of power in India? — they are
giants in religion. It is they who lead our society; and it is they again who
change our social laws and usages when necessity demands…” ( east & west
23).
Swami Vivekananda, while asking
people to follow the age old principles also cautions them about being
dogmatic. Being dogmatic is another confounded position which has led to
several decay in our society. He says,
“..Now, this Jati Dharma, this Svadharma, is
the path of welfare of all societies in every land, the ladder to ultimate
freedom. With the decay of this Jati Dharma, this Svadharma, has come the
downfall of our land. But the Jati Dharma or Svadharma as commonly understood
at present by the higher castes is rather a new evil, which has to be guarded
against. They think they know everything of Jati Dharma, but really they know
nothing of it. Regarding their own village customs as the eternal customs laid
down by the Vedas, and appropriating to themselves all privileges, they are
going to their doom! I am not talking of caste as determined by qualitative
distinction, but of the hereditary caste system. I admit that the qualitative
caste system is the primary one; but the pity is qualities yield to birth in
two or three generations. Thus the vital point of our national life has been
touched; otherwise, why should we sink to this degraded state? ..”( East &
West)
He clears the air about the misconceptions
of Jati Dharma by further saying,
“..Remember
always, that there is not in the world any other country whose institutions are
really better in their aims and objects than the institutions of this land. I
have seen castes in almost every country in the world, but nowhere is their
plan purpose so glorious as here. If caste is thus unavoidable, I would rather
have a caste of purity and culture and self-sacrifice than a caste of dollars.
Therefore, our solution of the caste question is not degrading those who are
already high up, is not running amuck through food and drink, is not jumping
out of our own limits in order to have more enjoyment, but it comes to every
one of us fulfilling the dictates of our Vedantic religion, by our attaining
spirituality, and by our becoming the ideal Brahmin…” The age old
fallacies and misconceptions which are clogging our national vein are thus
cleared by this wonderful exposition of Dharma by Swami Vivekananda. Swami
Vivekananda has reiterated the role India has to play to resolve the crisis
which Humanity is facing. The role is spreading Dharma, and he says that it is
Viswa Dharma. If India doesn’t play her destined role the loss and suffering
will for the entire Humanity. He says,
“..Shall India die? Then
from the world all spirituality will be extinct; all moral perfection will be
extinct; all sweet-souled sympathy for religion will be extinct; all ideality
will be extinct; and in its place will reign the duality of lust and luxury as
the male and female deities, with money as its priest, fraud, force and
competition its ceremonies and the human soul its sacrifice. Such a thing can
never be. The power of suffering is infinitely greater than the power of doing;
the power of love is infinitely of greater potency than the power of hatred.”
To achieve this ideal Swami
Vivekananda gives us this call,
“Lay
down your comforts, your pleasures, your name, fame or positioin, nay even your
lives, and make a bridge of human chains over which millions will cross this
ocean of life. Bring all forces of good together. Do not care under what banner
you march. Do not care what be your colour - green, blue, or red - but mix all
colours up produce that initense glow of white, the colour of love. Ours is to
work. The results will take care of themselves. I do not see into the future;
nor do I care to see. But one vision I see clear as life before me, that the
ancient Mother has awakened once more, sitting on her throne rejuvenated, more
glorious than ever. Proclaim her to all the world with the voice of peace and
benediction. “
Swami Vivekananda urges people to
be inquisitive and at the same time earnest in their search. It’s not mere
questioning but questioning to get more refined in our walk and make the
society a better place to live. With a society deeply mired in corruption and
moral degradation, one may be tempted to pray for an Avatar to descend and set
the things on right order. But we must remember that, Lord Krishna, Swami
Vivekananda and many other seers of this Holy land will work with us if we
allow them to work within us.
V.V.Balasubamaniyam
YB-ET
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